Amazing, really, the contrast between Land Rover’s uber-luxurious and widely respected Discovery (and the 2011 Evoque), and the iconic yet ultra-rugged Defender 110.
Both have their roots firmly embedded in the mists of (Welsh) time and, while both are immensely capable in the offroad stuff, they’re poles apart.
The Defender is so much more of a man-van than the Discovery. And let me hasten to qualify that: simply, you won’t get half as many women drivers opting for the Defender as you would the Disco. You can almost stereotype Defender drivers: big, butch, rugged and (or is this wishful thinking?) 6 foot 4 in their socks with a Clint Eastwood jawline . . .
The Discovery, on the other hand, is often piloted by execs who never venture further than the corporate car park or yummy mummies who wouldn’t know a winch from a wench.
Iconic style
The original Land Rover was born on a farm in Wales in 1947 at the hands of Maurice Wilks, chief designer for the Rover car company. Six series of the vehicle have been produced since then, but the Series 1 is still the most iconic of all. With extremely robust construction and characteristics such as short front and rear overhangs, the body style remained basically unchanged, until the name Defender was planted on the 1983 model.
Mod-cons
Diehard Defender fans will laugh off the 20th century luxuries, like aircon and electric windows, heated rear window with wash/wipe, headlight levelling and power-assisted steering. But they’ll revel in that inimitable Defender DNA, that crunch and shake when you change gears (six-speeds, nogal), that massive and reassuringly big steering wheel, the side mirrors that are as almost as big as my computer screen.
Extra seats and windows make the Defender 110 Station Wagon ideal for carrying people and goods. Its flexible seating accommodates up to seven people, and the split second row can be folded and the optional third row stowed completely to make room for larger luggage.
The clutch is big and strong, and I quickly got used to bending down to pull up the hand brake, which comes up from the floorboards below the dash.
You can’t fix what ’aint broken. Today the Defender is sold in more than 140 countries: despite the new technology employed in the highly efficient and capable common rail 2.4 diesel engine, the vehicle, in its unique and quaint form, is still very much a success story for the automaker.
Yours from R341 995.
Yee ha!
For more information, call 031 314 5555 or visit landrover.co.za.